Sign In
Free Newsletter
CAP – Ready to meet today’s water challenges
Gov. Doug Ducey's current, hurried water policy process bears little resemblance to the proven formula for development of sound, nonpartisan water law in Arizona. Much of the focus of these invitation-only gatherings appears intent on merely criticizing (and silencing) CAP, not on resolving honest differences of opinion and developing a consensus solution to the critical issues facing us today.
‘LOCK’ in on addressing future water challenges
We are at the crossroads regarding additional looming challenges including drought, especially drought on the Colorado River; where our next “buckets” of water will come from; and who will be the next generation of champions who provide the vision and courage to make extremely tough decisions about Arizona’s water future.
Unifying Colorado River policy to avoid water shortage
Collaboration is often touted as key to Arizona’s successes in water management, and it is. We just forget how messy, cantankerous, and difficult collaborating can be. We are seeing it again this summer as the state wrestles with Colorado River and groundwater issues in a stakeholder process led by Gov. Doug Ducey.
ADEQ at odds with advisory panel over septic system regulations
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality disagrees with its own advisory committee, which says current septic system regulations need a serious update to ensure protection of groundwater.
From toilet to tap, brew challenge shows safe reuse of water
Under a special permit, 26 breweries already made use of reclaimed wastewater as the basis for new craft beers.
Colonias on the border struggle with decades-old water issues
All along the U.S.-Mexico border, about 840,000 mostly low-income, immigrant Latinos have settled in colonias – cheap plots of land outside city limits without basic infrastructure such as water and sewage systems, electricity and paved roads.
Arizona water policy requires continued vision and leadership
Was this just a brief respite from 20-plus years of drought, or are we finally at the end of the latest 20- or 30-year dry cycle and ready to start the next wetter period? We don’t know the answers to those questions yet.
Water conservation efforts avert shortage – for now
In the 24-month report released by the United States Bureau of Reclamation in 2016, the bureau predicted a more than 50 percent chance of a water shortage in 2018. This August, the Bureau of Reclamation report reduced that projection to zero.
No end near after 4 decades of water rights litigation
After 44 years, the adjudication of water rights in Arizona is still far from being resolved, and water policy experts say that resolving these competing claims is essential to providing certainty about water rights.
Preserving Arizona’s remaining rivers, streams, springs
For those of us that do not follow the intricacies of water policy, we are left asking basic questions, such as how to deal with drought and climate change? How do we manage growth and economic development opportunities sustainably to support future generations? And importantly, how can we ensure that Arizona’s last remaining rivers, streams, and springs are preserved, not just for future genera[...]
Let’s protect the Colorado River, and the lives that depend on it
The Colorado River Indian Tribes are seeking to protect the life of the river and potentially the lives that depend on it. Any leasing of our water beyond our borders, as other tribes have done, is complex and challenging. Yet, there could be many opportunities for mutual gains for water users in the state of Arizona and economic gains for our people.
It’s simple, really: Arizona’s economy is tied to water
Many of us take our water supply for granted, yet as water becomes scarcer it is more important than ever to be clear who speaks for the diverse interests and people of Arizona. Efforts are moving forward to avert a potential crisis for Arizona due to the declining reservoir levels on the Colorado River – these are very important to manage water scarcity in the short term.
